Time to Start Sewing!

While reading through Revelation this week, the LORD showed me a wonderful analogy of how our position of righteousness in Christ and good works are knit seamlessly together.  It is written in Revelation 19:7-8, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready." ⁸ And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints."  Scripture tells us there is none righteous, no not one.  The righteousness which comes through the law is as filthy rags.  The law was like a schoolmaster, taking us by the hand and leading us to faith in Christ.  The law revealed to our conscience our sinful stains, and the blood of Christ through faith in the Gospel washes us clean and imputes His righteousness to us.

The picture God gave me is one of a groom and his future bride in ancient Israel.  During the betrothal period, the bride and groom would not see each other whist the groom was building an addition onto his father's house.  But the groom would often supply gifts such as fine linen for her wedding garment.  It was the bride's responsibility to wisely design, cut, sew, and alter the garment to fit properly.  She needed to be ready at a moment's notice so at the sound of the trumpet heralding the wedding procession she would be dressed and ready.

In the Bible, the church of Christ is often referred to as the bride of Christ.  Christ has supplied us with His righteousness, and the onus is upon us to walk therein.  We are His betrothed, legally married together even now, for He is the Head of the Body of which we are many members.  Ephesians 2:8-10 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast. ¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."  It would be sad if the groom at great expense provided expensive, flawless linen for his future wife to wear on their wedding day - and she never bothered to unwrap it!  If she loves her future husband and is happily awaiting the big day, the wife would tackle the project earnestly, rejoicing in the fact that her husband loved her so much to provide linen she never could have afforded.  We should be like that faithful bride, diligently working to craft a wedding garment worthy of royalty adorned with love.

The church is only as faithful as each individual member.  Instead of leaving the fine linen wrapped up until we trim down our figure, let's labour to put on His righteousness today in humility for God's glory.  Jesus has given us the pattern to follow through the instruction and wisdom of His example and Word.  May we walk worthily of Christ's sacrifice, having payed the bride price with His own blood.  Let us labour to be ready for His return, for He comes quickly.  Time to sew!